


Easy

by Masin (masinsam)



Category: Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: Gen, non-sexual D/s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 05:06:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14128734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masinsam/pseuds/Masin
Summary: Sometimes Brian feels out of control. Griffin can help with that.





	Easy

**Author's Note:**

> I basically wrote this for myself so it’s projecting a WHOLE bunch, whoops. But yeah, pals in a non-sexual d/s relationship. The start of a beautiful thing.

There were a myriad of words Brian could use to describe Griffin. “Perceptive” was one of the first that came to mind. 

“You doing alright, bud?”

It had been an eventful day of coverage winding down, the halls of SxSW still bustling and the smell of food trucks melding together in the sweltering sun. Griffin is staying back from the rest of the crew heading out to hover as Brian takes a moment to lean against the wall. “Hey...” Brian looks up as Griffin places a hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

 

He began asking Brian that a lot; even sent texts when Brian was at the hotel, trying to edit and prep for the next day on the show floor. It was nice that he cared, Brian always thought, but it had been really difficult to answer...truthfully. If Brian told anyone how he really felt, the times when everything was just- too much and the tether in his mind broke and left him floating around, well he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to live down the shame.

It would happen out of nowhere, especially in high stress environments like this. When decisions had to be made on the fly and people watched his every move and wanted selfies with him- When he had to manage himself and his time and his stamina and his creativity and his thoughts.

Sometimes Brian’s brain would overload and he’d feel so overwhelmed with his thoughts, with his perception of himself and how he was doing, that he couldn’t process anything at all. It sounded dumb when he tried to explain it to _himself_. He couldn’t _imagine_ how dumb it would sound if he opened his mouth and attempted to explain it to anyone else. 

He wanted to make his coworkers proud. He wanted to make polygon’s viewership and his own fans proud. He felt like he had so much on his shoulders and even so, at the end of the day, sometimes he still felt isolated from humanity as a _whole_ and unloved and disconnected and holy _moley_ -

“Get it together, Brian…” Brian mutters to himself. Aware now, he looks back down at his basket of tenders. The video crew is taking a lunch break in the crowded food court; only 45 minutes before their next interview and Brian is settled at a table by himself. “It’s only Wednesday…”

_____

“How are you feeling? Everything alright?” It’s the end of the day and Griffin is asking Brain, once again; it’s become a routine with his time here in Austin. Brian wonders how much Griffin has noticed. He trusted Griffin; they were friends and honestly having him check in gave Brian something to cling to when things got bad during the day. Maybe he should just…. Tell Griffin the truth?

“Just….” Brian takes a breath, his mind swirling and alarms going off because sometimes he was dumb. Sometimes he was dumb and useless and no one wanted to deal with him and this strange fucking- He shook his head and blinked before looking at Griffin. “Honestly? Kind of….out of control?…Don’t get me wrong- it’s been amazing being able to travel here for work but...The ol’ head is doing weird brain stuff that’s foggy and unclear and it sometimes hurts to think.”

“Yeah?” Griffin quietly tuts to himself, disappointed. “That doesn’t sound great.”

“T-Though, it sounds a lot weirder than it probably is, Griffin, I swear.” Brian is searching Griffin’s eyes; trying to find any sign of hesitance or discomfort. He didn’t want to freak him out. 

But Griffin looks calm; pointedly interested in what Brian has to say. “Doesn’t sound all that weird in the first place. It happens. Unfortunately.”

“Yeah...I’m..” Brian didn’t know where this conversation was going but, he somehow felt like he needed to apologize. It was such a bummer.

“So…” Griffin starts. “This might be a way-out-there suggestion but like, I could help you with that. If you’d like?”

Brian stares as Griffin starts gathering his satchel, never breaking eye contact. Brian’s brain stutters, “You…? How...would…”

“It sounds like your brain gets tired, yeah. It happens to the best of us.” Griffin is shrugging like he’s dropping the most common of knowledge and Brain continues to stare, dumbfounded. “You feel out of control so, like, I can give that to you for a while? Give your brain a break?”

The light bulb turning on was almost visible above Brian’s head as he perked up slightly. “That...that um...that actually sounds really...nice...”

Griffin nods. “Mmhm. You wouldn’t have to talk, or anything. It’s nothing too weird, I promise. Just...I could control you for a little bit. It’s definitely something I’ve done with others before. If you trust me.”

The appeal was becoming more and more apparent the more Brian listened. Especially his part in all of it. “….so like... I don’t have to...um, do anything?”

“Just what I tell you to do.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah…” Griffin tilts his head and watches Brian processes it all. He gives Brian a moment before speaking again. “.is that…? Okay?”

“It...is?” Finally, Brian gathers his belongings as well and turns to walk with Griffin towards the exits. “Yes. It is. Yeah...it’s...very cool.”

“And alright; let’s get it out there: yeah this is like, in the realm of _obviously kinky shit_ but, like, it can also be for this too. For just- Decompression.”

Brian sighs loud and dramatic, “And boy howdy, would I _love_ to decompress.”

“Hell yeah. Well, y’know, the offer is on the table whenever you want it. Since you’re in town and all. I care about ya, Brian. Let me take _care_ of you.”

“Ha! Heh…Well gee, ya make a really great case there...G-Griffin.”

_________________

After staring at the address Griffin had given him and taking the longest shower in the history of hotel showers. Brian makes the decision that this was definitely something he wanted and needed. He calls a lyft before he can change his mind.

Brian didn’t know if he was suppose to greet Griffin or really _what_ to do once he rung the doorbell of the impressive two-story home, but Griffin opens the door with a warm smile and ushers him in with a friendly “Hey! Come in, come in, glad you could make it!”

He gives Brian a big hug and instantly all the anxieties Brian accumulated over the Lyft drive melt away with each tight squeeze Griffin gives. Why was Brain so worried? Other than the initial social awkwardness, this was Griffin he was dealing with. Griffin, who had the ability to make literally anyone comfortable.

“Let me show you around,” He smiles and gently leads Brian by his hand down the foyer, firm and easy. “This place is way bigger than my old house and I’m still trying to get use to filling it.”

It goes on like this for a while: simple, pleasant chatting as Griffin leads Brian from room to room; talking about the details of the molding and how he worked with the realtor for a good price. Brian’s heart is almost completely back to normal, and it’s nice.

Back downstairs, Griffin points Brian towards the living room and tells him to make himself comfortable while he grabbed some snacks. And maybe what Brian had initially thought wasn’t even going to _happen_? Maybe there was a huge misunderstanding and Griffin just wanted to hang out and the creeping feeling of embarrassment and shame started resurfacing in Brian’s mind; _dumb_ , of _course_ this was just for hanging out- what else? _Fucking stupid, why did he have to be so-_

“Did you hear me?”

Brian blinks and stares at Griffin, unmoving. His heart rate started to increase and he somehow feels like he’s in trouble. 

Griffin raises a hand, seemingly motioning the panic in Brian’s eyes to retreat. “It’s okay if you didn’t. I saw you were kind of…” Brian watches as Griffin searches for the right word. “Distracted.” Griffin sighs and the tone of his voice is decidedly different with his next words. “Go take a seat in the living room. Right now.”

Without prompting them, Brian’s feet move quickly to turn and hurry Brian down the hallway. For a solid moment, all Brain could think about was getting to the living room to sit. 

It was clear. It was easy. It was done.

Brian takes a seat on the couch and, as his mind tries to whirl and introduce a wave of thoughts about how weird it was, how awkward it was, Brian fought to just focus on the sound of Griffin’s voice when he told him where to go. How he did exactly that.

Brian folds his hands in his lap; the t.v. has the DVD menu of a movie he remembers talking to Griffin about, one he had never seen. After a few moments of the sound of cabinets closing and things rattling from the kitchen, Griffin enters the living room with a bowl of chips cradled in his arm. Brian watches as Griffin crosses the couch to sit on the opposite end; setting the bowl down on the coffee table and grabbing the remote on the way to start the movie.

The t.v. volume is low, Brian is barely paying attention to it and a few minutes into the movie Griffin says his name.

Brian looks up.

“Sit closer.” Griffin says, steady, still easy, and Brian’s heart skips a beat as he watches Griffin’s finger beckon him. Silently, he scoots closer to Griffin. 

“Good.” Griffin quietly comments and Brian feels a warmth spread within him. That’s it? This is all he had to do? It was easy and it felt...it felt _really_ good. 

“You’ll let me know when this stops being okay, right?” Brian nods and gives Griffin a quick, goofy smile before looking down at the carpet. “Good... Hey...Look at me for a minute.”

Brian faces him again, owl eyes staring in anticipation.

Griffin sighs a little; his expression is measured but there’s a knowing kindness in his eyes. He looks Brian over steadily before raising his eyebrows. He picks his words carefully, each syllable, clear and deliberate. “You don’t have to think about anything right now Brian, understand? Just. Sit there for me. Okay?” 

And for some dumb reason, Brian swears tears start to well up in his eyes from hearing those words. It was such a relief- _such_ a weight suddenly lifted. 

To be given permission to just… _exist_. 

Brian slumps against the couch and wordlessly nods.

That was easy enough.


End file.
